Commission acts to help researchers acquire biotech business skills

Brussels, 14 March 2002

The European Commission is supporting an initiative which aims to help researchers and scientists to acquire the skills needed to turn a good biotechnology idea into a successful business proposition.

The Commission has awarded 193,000 euro to the Eurobiobiz company to host a series of workshops designed to educate potential biotech entrepreneurs on business requirements. Designed to deal with the specific characteristics of the biotechnology sector, the workshops will look at issues such as business plans, the dynamics of start-ups and securing capital.

This will be the third round of this sort of workshop, following two previous successful rounds in previous years, with 25 of previous participants having gone on to establish their own companies. The funding for them comes under the Commission's 'Quality of life' programme, part of the Fifth Framework programme.

Workshops will take place between February 2002 and May 2003 in the following cities

Heidelberg (D) - March 26 to 28, 2002
Paris (F) - April 9 to 11, 2002
Amsterdam (NL) - May 28 to 30, 2002
Milan (I) - June 18 to 20, 2002
Strasbourg (F) - July 2 to 4, 2002
Madrid (E) - September 17 to 19, 2002
Stockholm (S) - October 19 to 21, 2002
Dublin (IRL) - November 5 to 7, 2002
Prague (CZ) - December 3 to 5, 2002
Berlin (D) - January 21 to 23, 2003
Paris (F) - February 18 to 20, 2003
Warsaw (PL) - March 18 to 20, 2003
Hamburg (D) - April 15 to 17, 2003
Vienna (A) - May 20 to 22, 2003

For further information please contact:
Stéphane Hogan
Research DG
Tel: +32-2-2962965
Fax: +32-2-2958220
E-mail: stephane.hogan@cec.eu.int

or visit the following web address: http://www.eurobiobiz.com/index1.htm

Remarks: Candidates will be selected according to the maturity of their start up and their ability to show at least a basic understanding of the issues and skills involved.

CORDIS RTD-NEWS/© European Communities, 2001